Rail clamps for traveling bridges, overhead cranes, towers and the like



RAIL CLAMPS FOR .TRAVELING RIDGES, OVERHEAD oct. 114,I 1958 F o. SNOW JR 2,856,030

CRANES, TOWERS AND THE LIKE SSheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6. 1956 Oct. 14, 1958 F. o. SNOW,l JR 2,855,030

RAIL CLAMPS FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES, OVERHEAD' CRANES, TOWERS AND THE LIKE v Filed Sept. 6, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I man n.. 11ML@ mi 5:; lg gr. 39

BY l

oct. 14, 1958 F. o. SNOW, JR 2,856,030 RAIL CLAMPS FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES, OVERHEAD CRANES, TOWERS AND THE LIKE Filed sept. e, 195e s sheets-sheet s [lll/((Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll/llllllllllll "M .a 5? VENToR. J/ @Magma/r vom j?.

BY mgm ,armi/Vfl l RAIL CLAMPS FOR TRAVELING BGES, OVER- AD CES, TOWERS AND THE LIKE Frederick O. Snow, Jr., Maplewood, N. J., assignor to McKiernan-Terry Corporation, Harrison, N. 3., a corporation of New .llersey The invention herewith disclosed relates to rail clamps for holding bridges, towers, cranes and other such like structures mounted and traveling on rails.

Objects of the invention are to provide powerful clamp mechanism which will bel positive and quick in action both for gripping and releasing the rail and which will consist of but few simple parts compactly arranged and taking up but small space and, therefore, well adapted for use where space for such installations is limited.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a safe, reliable clamp construction having these characteristics, which can be produced at reasonable cost and which will be self-adjusting in respect to the rail and practically free from servicing or maintenance requirements.

The foregoing and other desirable objects have been attained in this invention by novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts, including in particular, a novel combination and arrangement of heavy coiled springs for setting the clamping jaws on the rails and hydraulic cylinders and pistons disposed within the same coiled springs but cross connected so as to compress the springs and thus have the reverse effect of opening or releasing the jaws.

Other important features of the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

T he drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate practical commercial embodiments of the invention but structure may be modified and changed as regards such illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter more fully defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a front elevation of one of the single rail clamps as applied to a rail, the latter shown in section and the so-called stationary jaw of the clamp partly broken and in section yto better illustrate one of the clamping shoes.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing location of the hydraulic cylinder and piston within the spring between the clamp jaw forming levers.

Fig. 3 is a broken diagrammatic view drawn to show how the expansive force of the spring is effective to force the ends of the jaw levers apart and the expansive movement of piston and cylinder is elective to draw the levers together and to compress the spring.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the left and right-hand ends of the clamp shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a double rail form of clamp, the rails being shown in section.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the double rail form of clamp.

Fig. 8 is a broken horizontal sectional View on substantially the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a right-hand end elevation of the double rail clamp.

Fig. l is an enlarged broken sectional view of comatent ice t 2 panion clamp shoes taken on substantially the plane of line 10--10 of Fig. 7.

Fig. l1 is an exploded broken sectional view of companion clamp jaws, shoes and rail.

As shown in Fig. 1, each clamp consists in the main of a pair of opposed rugged clamp levers 15, 16 fulcrumed together at 17 and carrying rail clamping shoes 18 at their lower ends and abutments 19, 20 at their upper ends for a powerful jaw closing coiled spring 21.

These spring abutments are of annular formation to match the circular spring and carry horizontal pins 22, 23 for pivotal connection with the levers.

Levers 15 and 16 are forked at 24, 25, as shown in the end views Figs. 4 and 5, to leave the center of the spring open at both ends of the clamp and the forked ends of the levers are shown as bifurcated at 26, 27 to engage opposite ends of the pins or journals 22, 23, Fig. 2, at opposite sides of the lugs 28, 29 on the abutments or heads 19, 20 carrying these pivot pins. This construction provides adequate strength, balance and alinement of parts.

The spring abutment or pressure heads 19, 20 are shown in Fig. 2 as carrying annular hubs 30, 31 for centering and holding the ends of the spring in proper alinement.

With this construction the spring may be as heavy and powerful as needed to apply requisite gripping force to the rail.

Releasing operation of the clamp is effected by a hydraulic couple consisting of cylinder and piston 32, 33 disposed concentrically withink the helical spring and connected, the cylinder with spring abutment 19 and the piston with spring abutment 20.

Fig. 2 shows how the cylinder is connected with abutment 19 by having the annular flange 34 at the open end thereof shouldered at 35 within the hub 30 and Figs. 1 and 3 show how the piston is connected with the opposing spring abutment 20 by having a ilange or head 36 attached over the outer end thereof and connected by triangularly related stays or tie bolts 37, 38, 39 with abutment head 2li. These tie rods pass freely through clearance openings 40 in spring abutment 19 and movement of the abutment heads toward each other is limited by spacer tubes 41 surrounding the tie rods.

Admission and release of hydraulic or other actuating lluid to and from the cylinder may be by way of a bore or passage 42, Fig. 2, through the head of the piston.

lt will be` clear, particularly from the diagrammatic view, Fig. 3, that admission of pressure fluid into the cylinder space will elect separation of cylinder and piston to compress the spring, the cylinder connected at 34, 35 with abutment head 19 to shift that toward the right andthe-piston connected by flange 36 and tie rods 37, 38, 39 acting to pull spring abutment 20 toward the left.

The free end of the cylinder, at the right in Fig. 2, is shown as slidingly centered in a packed guide bushing 43 in the hub 31 of spring abutment 2li.

The pivot pin 17 forming the fulcrum connection between the jaw levers is shown in Fig. 1 as located to the left or at one side of the rail center, thus constituting the right-hand lever what might be considered the stationary jaw and the left-hand lever 15 the movable jaw. This arrangement may be desirable where it is necessary to keep projection at one side of the track at a minimum. Fig. l shows how the stationary jaw lever 16 may be extended inward of the track to locate the main body of the clamp at the inside of the track. In this view a shackle is indicated at 44 for linking the upper end of the stationary clamp jaw to the sill or overstanding structure of the truck in which the clamp is mounted.

Figs. 1, 4 and 5 further show how the stationary jaw may carry journal boxes 45, 46 at opposite ends of the same in which tapered flange rollers 47, 48 are journaled in .antiffriction bearings .for riding and centering `the clamp on the rail. t

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and `9 .illustratea double rail form of the clamp differing from that described, particularlyrin that thelpair of clamp jaws areduplicated but connected to be operated in the same .way by asingle helical spring and by across.connectedpiston -and cylinder elements contained `within the spring. A

In Figs. .6 and 7 the;relatively movable andstationary jawleversof each painare designated/15 and 16 as before, but in this case the Amovable levers 15 ofzthe two pairs, located at the outside,are:piv.otally.connected with the spring abutments 19, 20 andthetstationary jawlevers 16 of the two pairs are pivotally ,connected Itogether at their upper ends in generally parallel -relationibylinks 49 and pivot kpins 50. Consequently, the ysiiiglespring acting againstlthe movable levers .1S is effective `to close both sets of clamp jaws by rocking 'the movable jaws about fulcrums 17 toward the linked together fixed jaws 16.

The cylinder 32 within the spring is directly Vconnected as before with the one spring abutment 1.9 @and the piston 33 is connected by llange 36 and tie rods 37, 38, 39 with the other spring abutment*` ring 20.

Pressure within the expansion chamber will therefore be effective to separate cylinder and piston and vthrough connections described to pull the abutments towardeach other to compress the spring and release the clampjaws.

Thus, heavy spring pressure is always effective toset and lock the clamps on theirails and application of-hy draulic pressure is effective `to instantly release .the clamps.

The clamp shoes 18 are made self-adjusting and,self clearing by constructing them,.as shown in Figs. y10 and 11, with arcuate bearing faces 51 at the back ,riding'in corresponding bearingy grooves 52 in the clamp'jawsand by loosely linking them in this relation through the provision of parallel sided lugs 53 engaging in corresponding seats 54 in the jaws and loosely4 confined in this relation by bolt rods 55 extending through arcuate slots 56 in such retaining lugs. p

This construction enables .the clamp shoes to immediately adjust themselves to the sides of the rail heads and to separate or fall away from the rails and to-clear themselves and the rails of any obstructions.

Fig. 7 shows how the fulcrum pins at 17 may be xed in lateral extensions 57 of the stationary or relatively xed jaw levers by securing ,bolts 58.

A motor driven pump unit is usually provided, with oil reservoir and piped to the .hydraulic cylinder vby means of flexible oil pipe.

A rail clamp limit switch 60, Figs. 1, 4, 6 andW9, is usuallyprovided, operated by piston and cylinder.

The distance at 61 Figs. 1 and 6 between spriugabntment 19 and piston head 36 provides visual indication of the amount of wear of the clamp shoes. Decrease of this dimension indicates the relative amount of wear of the shoes and at times the need for replacement of shoes.

In the normal operation of the clamp, the pump motor is energized by putting the propelling master used in 4the control :of vthese rail clamps on the rst point in either direction. In 3 to 5 seconds, usually the clamps are fully released .and the `propelling circuit is established throughthe rail clamp limit switch. This circuit is maintained so long as the clamps are kept released by holding v'the propelling master in the On position.

mounted intermediate their ends and having railhead clampingljaws at their lowerends, spring abutment rings pivoted onhorizontal -axes inopposing Arelation on the upper ends of said levers, a coiled clamp closing expansionspring in thrust applying engagement at opposite ends wlth'said spring abutment rings, acylinder housed within ,saidfspring Vand surrounded by said rings, said cylinder being lixedly connected at one end in supported engagement With'one of said spring abutment rings and having ay sliding bearing at the oppositeend in the other of saidrings, apistonsupported in said cylinder and having an voperating connectionwith said other opposed spring abutment ring, said cylinder and piston `forming the `companion .elements of an expansion couple with the elements connected to-therespective clamp levers and means for supplying and releasing actuating `pressure iluid to and from said expansion couple to releaseand to Ypermit springactuated closing of said railhead clamp jaws.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,749 Norris Mar. `30, 1926 1,764,797 Kerating June 17, 1930 2,172,627 `Snow Sept. 12, v1939 2,328,619 Cox Sept. 7, 1943 2,748,895 Lucchetti June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 822,678 France Sept. 27,` 1937 683,622 Germany Nov. 10, 1939 

